Straits Times tries to play down importance of freedom in Singapore’s pathetic 53th ranking for liveability worldwide
February 13th, 2010 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
Despite having the most expensive government in the entire world, Singapore is ranked a miserable 53th position in terms of liveability worldwide in a recent global conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Not surprisingly, the top 10 most liveable cities in the world are all found in democratic states. (read article here)
The latest findings corroborate an earlier survey done by influential Ireland-based lifestyle magazine International Living, which ranked Singapore 70th in terms of quality of life in the world, below the likes of Romania, Croatia and Slovenia, former states of the Eastern bloc.
The data is collated from official government sources, the World Health Organization, The Economist, and many other journals, tables, and records.
Below is Singapore’s scores for each category:
While Singapore scores high on risk and safety, health and infrastructure, it scores poorly in environment and freedom, bringing down its final score to a mediocre 61.
Environment and Freedom each contributed 10 per cent to the countries’ overall score:
Environment (10%). To figure a country’s score in this category, we look at population density per square kilometer, population growth rate, greenhouse emissions per capita, and the percentage of total land that is protected.
Freedom (10%). Freedom House’s survey is the main source for these scores, with an emphasis on a citizen’s political rights and civil liberties.
The survey by International Living was not reported in the mainstream media when we have already reported on it last month. (read our article here) Perhaps Straits Times finds the 53th ranking by The Economist Unit is more “respectable”.
As expected of its role as a mouthpiece of the PAP regime, the Straits Times had tried to put down the significance of the findings.
It quoted regional economist Song Seng Wun as saying that “culture and freedom” takes time to evolve.
It is not a matter of time, but a matter of political necessity. So long the PAP remains in power and continues to introduce ridiculous and repressive laws like the Public Order Act to curtail the civil and political liberties of Singaporeans, Singapore will continue to score poorly in this area.
The Straits Times also interview some Singaporeans to give the impression that they are not interested in freedom.
“Some Singaporeans, however, simply shrugged when asked about areas like the environment,” it reported.
Air stewardess Tan Xiu Mei, 27, said she is more concerned about bread-and-butter issues, like food prices. Asked about freedoms, she said: ‘I don’t really have much to voice anyway.’
Miss Tan seems ignorant of the fact that without the freedom to voice one’s concerns, dissatisfaction and unhappiness, she will always be at the mercy of those in power.
The Straits Times can continue pulling over a wool over the eyes of its own apathetic citizenry, but it will never be able to deceive first world global citizens.
It is little wonder that Singapore is unable to attract the best talents from mainland China, India and elsewhere to settle here despite its ultra-liberal immigration policies.
In a Gallup poll done last year July among Chinese college students, their top three emigration destinations are United States, France and South Korea. Singapore is not even featured in the top five.
A paranoid, insular and repressive regime, coupled with an ignorant citizenry and a third class media is a recipe for an impending disaster. Will any global talents in their right minds plant their roots in a sinking ship?
The PAP ministers are the highest paid political leaders in the world, but Singapore has the highest income gap and lowest standard of living among first world nations. Do they really deserve their salaries?
Posted in Editorial
Should quote the UBS Aug 2009 study which shows Singapore’s pathetic domestic purchasing power compareable to Malaysia while ouf GDP per capita (PPP) is more than 3 times. It just goes to show that PPP is not a good measure of the quality of life.
In fact, our PPP is even better than switzerland and yet their domestic purchasing power is almost 3 times more than ours.
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Straits Times quoted regional economist Song Seng Wun as saying that “culture and freedom” takes time to evolve.
Dear Mr. Song
Firstly, I have not been very impressed with your comments and views on economic matters over the media.
Secondly, your comments regarding culture and freedom taking time to evolve is truly LAUGHABLE …..hahaha.
Are you Singaporean? The PAP has dominated Singapore politics since 1959 – a total of 51 years. What time do they want?
While the Government now realizes that “The Literature, music and the fine arts have a significant role to play from within the framework of nation building.”, they have regressed on the two salient aspects of freedom – political freedom and individual freedom which intrinsically coupled.
Quoting Wikipedia: “The concept of political freedom is very closely allied with the concepts of civil liberties and individual rights, which in most democratic societies is characterized by various freedoms which are afforded the legal protection from the state.
Some of these freedoms may include (in alphabetical order):
Freedom of assembly
Freedom of association
Freedom of movement
Freedom of religion
Freedom of speech
Freedom of the press
Freedom of thought
Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, which is related to freedom of privacy
Suffrage
Scientific freedom
Academic freedom”
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we must not expect Non-Mediocre. Period.
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*yawn* There you go again with this pseudo-scientific study by International Living. Singapore’s climate score is 39, based on the criteria “average annual rainfall and average temperature, and susceptibility to natural disasters”? Puh-leeze.
Let’s see if you think that International Living is still an “influential magazine” after you look at what Amazon customers have to say about it: http://www.amazon.com/International-Living/dp/B00006KIZM
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Australian cities and Vancouver took the bulk of the top 10, and yet they are democratic countries. Shame on PAP.
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Notice all the best democratic countries take the top spot and only autocratic oppressive police and kangaroo state takes the lowest spot.
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another BS survey. done by a BS magazine no one reads.
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@ disgusted
If you don’t like International Living, try Mercer:
http://www.mercer.com/referencecontent.htm?idContent=1173105
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Let’s be fair. Even if we’re a super democratic country, we are still not going to be in the top 10 most livable. Climate & environment is always going to be a challenge for us. We will be lucky to be more livable than Tokyo, Seoul and HK.
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We as singaporeans can sacrifice … i think few in the world are more tolerant then we are. But the question is, to who’s benefit are these sacrifices for? for the promise of a better life for my children?( for that i would gladly sacrifice) Or for the elites who are so detached from the populace? The elite ruling class should not circumvent the rights and privileges of it’s own citizens..
We aspire to be more then ‘lesser mortals’, even if u treat us as such, we want our children to be better treated then this… Many of us are disillusioned and disenfranchised. As mentioned we will sacrifice and face hardship for the betterment of our offspring… we can only hope our ideals are aligned with our leaders.
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Very embarrassing for the PAP leaders. They should either bury their heads in the sands or put on veils to cover their faces whenever they appear in public.
They are not worth the millions they paid themselves without the people’s approval. Incompetent govt that delivers nothing to its people.
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@ To be free
“Let’s be fair.”
How to be fair, when our ministars are all multi-millionaires?
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If EIU is another BS survey, the ST leh? credible ?
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most likely sh*tty times will come up with another ranking naming singapore to be the top few in the ” best CITY for Exparts” ……
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@kennasai
firstly, i cannot believe you quoted wikipedia
secondly, you mentioned that Singapore has had 51 years, which you felt was ample time, but perhaps you should have made a comparison to a nation with similar number of years of nationhood, that has greater freedom and culture. I reckon Singapore should be compared with other post-colonial states or post WWII nations in terms of its development, rather than the former empires of Europe or the US.
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53rd?.. True global talent prefer to live in a culturally-vibrant, socially-responsible and and free-thinking city.
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freedom tried to blossom in Singapore in the 60’s but it was killed by Operation Coldstore, then it tried to blossom in the 80’s but it was killed by Operation Spectrum
DICTATOR LEE KUAN YEW MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS POLITICAL CRIMES
http://fashionablefacistdictator.wordpress.com/
VOTE FOR CHANGE, VOTE PAP OUT, VOTE OPPOSITION
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I feel terribly ashamed as a citizen for this ranking. Ashamed is understatement.
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I was wondering why is Singapore ranking not highlighted in Straits Times. I’m not surprise now that I found out the ranking. Wow, do our leaders really deserve the amount they are paid?? Why are they paid so much….too much!!!
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“Very embarrassing for the PAP leaders. They should either bury their heads in the sands or put on veils to cover their faces whenever they appear in public.”
They already bury their heads, albeit in million dollar of notes rather than in sand. Who need the veils when lesser mortals are been driven away by the police and bodyguard when these clowns appear in public when not in orchestrated wayang show ?
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“Let’s be fair. Even if we’re a super democratic country, we are still not going to be in the top 10 most livable”
to be fair, we should change the things that we can change, and live with the things that we can’t.
Vote for Change!
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While these surveys are, by and large, meaningless they nevertheless serve as another type of alarm to Singaporeans to finally wake up and decide what sort of Singapore they want. The big question is: will Singaporeans wake up?
The evidence of the Lee Family’s nepotism, corruption and incompetence has been staring you in the face for years and yet you remain convinced that you have a good government. When will you all wake up?
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Very revealing data and informed Singaporeans are not surprised. But how many ignorant/apathetic Singaporeans know and care? Many Singaporeans who never worked or lived abroad will never know how increasingly unliveable Singapore has become over the last decade and this data is just one of the numerous indications that the current administration has failed in duty and it is time for them to be accountable for their failed policies instead of blaming on external factors and the people of Singapore. Since they want to run Singapore like a business, then they should do what private enterprise do. Change of management if the management team cannot bring benefits to the company.
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this magazine is based in ireland. ireland is a democratic country. obviously they are going to sway toward personal liberties and freedoms in awarding their rankings.
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The only way things will change is for the senile old fart to die first and quickly!
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